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Make the most of online communities during your divorce, even while carefully managing your social media presence.
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Most anyone going through a divorce these days is well aware that — at least until everything is finalized — any and all of their activity on social media must be handled with extreme care. Online activity is admissible in court, so no matter how normal it may be to want to make snarky asides about your ex or decry the unfairness of your judge, social media silence is generally the best policy.
Once the divorce is over, there remain several good reasons to watch your social media boundaries in relation to your ex. If you have children together, it would be a shame for them to either now or one day in the future go online and happen across you bashing their other parent. And just because a divorce has been finalized, your ex is still capable to taking you back to court in the future if you provide them ample material.
Keeping your on-line mouth shut should be a no brainer then, right?
Except that divorce is not only a traumatic process, it is also a lonely, confusing and frightening one. Friends turn their backs. Family can only handle so much. Your lawyer or mediator is there for you as a hired (and paid) professional, not as your buddy, no matter how awesome they are.
Many online communities for people considering, going through and recovering from their divorce have been developing in the recent years in order to fill that friendship void and provide much needed connections with others who have been in — or are currently sharing — your divorce shoes. The developers of these communities are well aware of the privacy issues at play, and encourage that participants choose a username that conceal their identity from potentially prying and litigious eyes.
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Once such community, DivorceForce, recently took a look at the screen names being chosen by their community members and wrote the following commentary:
You have all heard the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” If you look at usernames in the DivorceForce Community, we’d like to suggest that a username is worth a thousand words.
Take a look at some of the screen names from the DivorceForce Community:
These usernames tell people’s stories — positive/negative, happy/sad, male/female, etc.
While divorce is common to the DivorceForce Community, everyone’s scenario varies. But the diversity and richness of the community allows anyone affected by divorce to find support, inspiration, and empowerment independent of their particular stage or scenario of divorce.
DivorceForce was created to help people connect with others like them — specifically people affected by divorce connect with others like you. You have a community. Get in the know and let others help you (or help others) navigate their challenges and problems.
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It is always a good idea to mind your social media presence, and for many reasons beyond divorce. Just know that there are communities out there ready and waiting with open arms to welcome you in and allow you the space, freedom and understanding in which to redefine yourself as you enter your second chance.
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Also by Arianna Jeret
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